Bridgewater-Raynham high school classes continue without power

Bridgewater-Raynham Regional High School had no power until 1 p.m., as a result of the storm. The school relied on emergency backup systems until then.

Sara Cline The Enterprise @saraclinenews

BRIDGEWATER – Half of the Bridgewater-Raynham Regional High School parking lot was empty Monday afternoon.

Parents of students walked inside to dismiss their children.

While other students remained in the building continuing their lessons in dimly lit classrooms.

Schools across the state, Monday, were delayed or closed due to storm damage and power outages, Bridgewater-Raynham Regional High School remained open.

B-R had no power until 1 p.m. and relied on emergency backup systems until then.

“We have been working with safety officials in both sides of the district since 5:30 a.m. this morning. We were informed that all schools in the district had power and that the high school was on generator power,” Bridgewater-Raynham Regional School District Superintendent Derek Swenson wrote on Facebook Monday morning.

Swenson said before making the decision to keep the school and district open Monday he spoke with local police, firefighters, school administration and officials.

“I know that sometimes with situations like this there are some upset parents that believe it is the wrong decision (to remain open),” Swenson said to The Enterprise. “We work with safety officials and school officials to make the best decision with the information we have at the time.”

Swenson said that if parents felt their students should stay home or be dismissed from school that that is under the parents’ jurisdiction.

For those student that did not attend or were dismissed early it was recorded as an ‘excused absence’.

Swenson said he was notified about the power outage, caused by the storm, early Monday and that National Grid was handling the situation.

The high school used the emergency generator to power emergency lighting, alarms, the water system, bathrooms and school phones.

One classroom did light candles for extra light, Swenson confirmed.

“As soon as the situation was brought to our attention it was immediately addressed,” Swenson said. “That will not happen again.”

In addition to the power outage there was a fire sprinkler in the building dripping, Swenson confirmed. This was not a result of the storm.

“There was absolutely no flooding,” Swenson said.

Besides a lack of computers and technology in the classrooms, studies proceeded.

“We are currently at the high school and even though some of the classrooms are dark, the teachers and students are working,” Swenson posted on Facebook.

At lunch Chartwells, the district’s food provider, made over 600 bagged lunches to assure all students ate.

“Many students in the Bridgewater-Raynham area did not have power or heat at home,” Swenson said. “At school we knew they would have a meal and be in a safe place.”

Power was restored at the high school by 1 p.m.

No other school’s in the Bridgewater-Raynham district had power outages, Swenson said.

East Bridgewater, Middleboro, and Whitman-Hanson Regional schools all were closed.